Avro Lancaster

[emmagee1917]

here's another privately owned one in the UK that will taxi up to take-off speed but (I seem to think....) that for some reason the CAA won't give it a licence to fly. Just think of 3 flying together................

It is being restored . Not quite finished yet . Engines are tired and not worth the risk . Four new rebuilt ones are in the wings awaiting installation.
Chris

[Brit plumber]

It's the expense that's holding things up, the NDT and parts don't come cheap. I'm only down the road from Just Jane and I've just got a posting back to 41 Sqn at Coningsby, pretty much right next door to BBMF so I hope to see plenty of City of Lincoln and VERA in the next few weeks.

[Peter Laidler]

Thanks for that info on the non flying Lancaster chaps but 'tired engines.........' what are these CAA blokes like nowadays.......? My friend Leslie Barham's flying log (he ended the war as a S/Ldr on demob in 1947 and went back into Engineering) shows that his Lancaster returned from Essen/divert Duisberg (? does that mean he was diverted to Duisberg on the trip) on '2 serviceable, 1 out 1 running' engines on 12-13th March 1943. He obviously liked Essen, Duisberg (spelling?) and Berlin as he went there fairly often. Took with him according to the page, TI's, 1x 4000 4 x 500. Would that be spending money perhaps? Probably for a bit of sightseeing and shopping.

[gsimmons]

I that this piccy was brilliant.

[gsimmons]

Attachment 55665

[Peter Laidler]

Other words fail me........... MAGNIFICENT!

I understand that both of these are actually post warbuilt aircraft and the non flier is a wartime build. No wonder it's tired. So would you be after a few nights in Berlin!

[Gil Boyd]

I have been told that she is to have a total overhaul at Duxford soon, so I can visit the old girl more often. I was on a course with the Mounties Mounted Branch in Toronto a few years back and they took me to the Lanc on the foreshore there on a plynth. Now thats what you call looking after a female beach guard with a view out over the water, well done Canada respect

[Peter Laidler]

Which one is to have a total rebuild Gil? Was the Cdn Lancaster on a plinth the one that's now flying Gil? Or do they have two, a flyer and a non flyer. Do you still have one in NZ you Kiwis? There was an ex French air force one that was flown in from French Indo China to Auckland when I was there in the 60's.

I wonder how many there are still in existance.

[Buccaneer]

I might be wrong (but then that's nothing new) but I seem to remember back in the 70's that a servicable Lancaster was sold to Canada from a private collection in Scotland. The "Strathalen" collection, if thats how its spelt, seems to come to mind...

[Brit plumber]

I might be wrong (but then that's nothing new) but I seem to remember back in the 70's that a servicable Lancaster was sold to Canada from a private collection in Scotland. The "Strathalen" collection, if thats how its spelt, seems to come to mind...

That is KB796, built in Canada, flown to the UK, war ended and returned to Canada. Bought in 1974 ish by JD Roberts and flown to Scotland (Strathallan collection) in 1975, bought by Charles Smith in 1986? and road moved to BAe Woodford for restoration to airworthiness but unfortunately the roof of the hangar collapsed badly damaging it. Charles Smith died shortly after in a Spitfire crash and so the project stalled and a number of parts of the airframe along with parts from other aircraft ended up with Kermit Weeks in Florida in 2003 and it's sat there awaiting some love ever since.

See the full story here, very sad.

Lancaster KB976 Introduction

---------- Post added at 11:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:17 AM ----------

The engines run well Peter but as there is no paperwork supporting the history of the engine from a known rebuild, i.e. NDT, Component record cards etc. then they need to have engines with complete records.

17 Airframes remain in existence.